The Fault in Our Stars VS Code Name Verity

Voting for the first round of the Dubuque Tournament of Books is wrapping up tomorrow, and we'll posting the winners on Sunday. If you haven't submitted a bracket for the prize drawing, we're extending the deadline to Saturday!

We posted post short descriptions of all the titles in the contest here on the blog, but today we're taking a closer look at a match up near and dear to our hearts here at Carnegie-Stout.

Several staff members have read and loved both The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, which has led to some interesting workroom discussions of which title we want to see advance to round two. Both have sharp writing, interesting characters, and emotional depth. If you haven't read them yet, we invite you to do so, and join us in the discussion! Even if you haven't read a YA novel since you were a teen yourself, these books are worth checking out.

On Tuesday, March 12th, our Let's Talk Books book discussion group will be examining The Fault in Our Stars at 7 p.m. Copies of the novel are available for check out at the Circulation Desk.  On Monday, March 25th, we'll be having our next meeting of YA Fiction Addiction, the book discussion group for adults who enjoy reading Young Adult novels.

If you've already read both The Fault in Our Stars and Code Name Verity, we've pulled together a few read alike suggestions for you!

The Fault in Our Stars Read Alikes

• Just One Day by Gayle Forman: a gentler look at the possibilities of first love, international travel, and self-discovery
• How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford: quirky outsiders and an emotionally intense friendship
• Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: bittersweet story of bullying, suicide, and teenage outcasts that still makes you laugh
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: Teen love rarely lasts, but for these two intelligent misfits, it's worth the risk
• A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner: Independent Cass struggles after her best friend's death

Code Name Verity Read Alikes

• Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson: Isabel, a slave in 1776 New York, becomes a spy during the Revolutionary War
• City of Thieves by David Benioff: Lev and Kolya are paroled from certain death in a Leningrad Prison during WWII, if they can accomplish an impossible quest
• A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead: (940.53082 MOO) the true story of 230 women of the French Resistance captured by the Nazis
• For Freedom: the story of a French spy by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley: based on a true story, French teenager Suzanne only dreams of becoming an opera singer, but she becomes a spy for the Resistance
• Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith: 18-year-old Ida Mae passes as white to become a WASP pilot in WWII